SEPTA waiting on union to accept 'final offer'

SEPTA officials have put their final offer on the table. Now, it's the union's turn.

As of Monday evening, Transport Workers Union Local 234 have yet to further negotiate its contract with SEPTA or accept the offer, which SEPTA spokeswoman Jerri Williams said was "sweetened."

The offer now is for two years, with a wage hike of 2 percent in the first year and in the second year, a 3 percent increase. Workers would furthermore have to contribute an addition 1 percent on health insurance benefits, Williams said.

The union had previously proposed a 5 percent per year wage increase with no addition contributions to insurance costs.

Off the table now is SEPTA's proposal to change the workers' pension plan that would have required all new hires to be "released from the defined benefits plan," said Williams, and be placed into an employee-funded separate plan.

So far, SEPTA hasn't heard from the union.

"We basically have offered most of what the union had requested," Williams said. "And so, we are labeling this as our final offer. We are waiting to hear back from the union — waiting, willing, able and ready to continue negotiating."

On Sunday, Willie Brown, Local 234's president, had publicly stated the union would not strike once midnight Monday hit. But SEPTA said they have not heard directly.